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Individuals who are not prepared to devote themselves totally to becoming professionals, or who
are not prepared to accept the challenges of having their abilities tested in battle when the lives of
their men are at stake, must be eliminated early in their training. As General Sir John Hackett
stated in his article on the Profession of Arms: "The military institution is dominated by an
unwritten clause. This sets out an unlimited liability. It requires of a man that he be prepared to
surrender life itself, if the discharge of his duty demands it. This is not often invoked in
peacetime, but its existence lends a dignity to the military condition which is difficult to deny,
and this is where the profession of arms separates itself from any other profession."
3. It is easy to study and understand the qualities of leadership, but leading is doing, and it is
the result that counts. During the early phases of training it may seem impossible for young
officers to meet all the leadership criteria at any one time. They must realize that their ability as a
leader will gradually improve with experience. As they are exposed to and meet new challenges,
they will gain the confidence required to project their personalities and lead competently in their
first command positions.
4. Instructors in all phases of officer training must ensure that each young leader is given
sufficient opportunities to get out in front and instruct on their own. Instructing is the best
method of gaining confidence because individuals are subject to close scrutiny both in terms of
their ability to inspire others and in their knowledge of the subject.
5. Young leaders should understand that battles are won by small unit action, and that
leaders at the platoon and company grade bear the brunt of the load. Experience has shown that
soldiers can carry a poor unit commander for a while in battle, and much longer in peacetime, but
a weak platoon commander will not last a day in battle, because the soldiers will find out
immediately. Successful leaders are those who lead from the front. To influence the battle they
must be a position to observe the action and make sound decisions quickly based on what they
see. The training of the officer must emphasize this point.
JOINING THE UNIT
6. Newly commissioned officers require careful guidance and encouragement when joining
their units and it is the responsibility of all unit officers to ensure that they get it. Initially they
should be advised to feel their way cautiously and seek the advice of those with more experience.
They should find that, besides their fellow officers, unit senior NCOs will provide a great deal of
valuable advice and will take pride in assisting a young officer who approaches them frankly and
with respect. To gain this respect they must weigh advice, but make their own decisions.
7. They should be inquisitive and take every opportunity to expand their knowledge in all
fields. Training is the time to learn and in order to learn the young officer should not worry
unnecessarily about making mistakes. The important thing is to learn to correct them. It is easy
enough to admit mistakes, but this should not be used as the prime excuse every time something
goes wrong. There are generally other reasons why mistakes are made by junior officers.
8. Junior officers must be given the opportunity to gain the practical experience of
regimental soldiering by commanding a platoon or equivalent once they have joined the unit.
They should not be required to leave the unit for further education or extra regimental
employment until they have become competent junior officers. It is at this stage that they will be
broadening their base of experience and it is only through having the opportunity to lead and
instruct their soldiers that this can be developed. After command experience, they must be
encouraged to improve both their military and academic education with a view to promotion. If
their initial command is interrupted and they have not been given the opportunity to practise the
essentials of leading or to gain a sound knowledge of the responsibilities of their rank, they will
have suffered an important gap in their training which may adversely affect them throughout their
careers.
9. Newly commissioned officers,should train their soldiers, and the best way of doing this is
to personally take on a good proportion of the instruction. This gives them confidence as they are
exposed to human behaviour in the classroom and in the field. Also, the officer learns the various
military subjects, such as tactics, weapons, drill and organization. There is an erroneous
impression in peacetime that a formal course has to be taken by individuals for them to become a
capable instructor. This is not so, as intelligent leaders can study publications, observe others
instructing, prepare themselves thoroughly, and then teach. This method of training young
leaders at both the NCO and officer level was used successfully in war and may be the only
practical method which will be successful when large numbers of soldiers are enlisted on
mobilization.
TRAINING RESPONSIBILITIES
10. The ultimate responsibility for training unit officers remains with commanding officers
and they establish the unit policy to ensure that their officers improve their military education and
are qualified for promotion when that time comes. The ultimate responsibility for preparing for
examinations rests upon the officers themselves. In addition to the assistance they get from their
unit, officers may also receive assistance from courses which are centrally organized at brigade
level on such subjects as tactics, military history, military law, current affairs and administration
in the field. Officers must improve their military education by studying for and writing the officer
professional development examinations.
11. Commanding officers should establish "Officer Days" and detail their junior officers to
give lectures on subjects of interest. A lecture which is followed by a general discussion can be a
useful follow-up to compulsory reading. At the same time, arrangements should be made for
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